of bubble tea, sushi, lists, memories and meetings
by Callista Miralni
Summary: For three years, he was her mother's favorite whim; she was a constant fixture. In which, Sakura is regularly humiliated and Sasuke quietly observes. "What would you like to drink?" "... hot tea." SasuSaku, AU
1. sasuke

of bubble tea, sushi, lists, memories, and meetings

Callista Miralni

Disclaimer: Naruto? _Yeah right._

_Inspired by:_ rawrchelle. And a certain string of embarrassments.

_Dedicated to:_ Megan and Enzo—my awkward sibs from another mother. Or two.

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.:sasuke:.

1.

_bubble tea_

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Sasuke Uchiha worked several odd jobs throughout his life.

He had seen lots of things working in various restaurants and retail shops. The elderly couple on a sweet date, the teenage lovers' spat leading to their break up _(the girl immediately hit on him afterwards)_, the wedding anniversaries, birthdays, blind dates, consolations, and reunions.

Sasuke had seen it all.

This latest job at a bubble tea cafe was a break. The owner was a friend of his mom's and was more than willing to pick him up from school and take him to work. She let him use his breaks as time to do his homework, sometimes extending it when he wasn't paying attention to the clock, too engrossed in writing his midterm paper to realize he needed to stop.

His older brother Itachi thought it was hilarious that Sasuke, the most anti-social, not-people-friendly person in existence, worked a job that required he interact with people on a regular basis. His mother immediately chastised Itachi, telling her youngest child he needed the social interaction his work provided him with since he insisted on earning money for himself in his free time.

Despite his parents' comfortable life style, he knew the move from Japan to the United States ten years ago was a bit of a strain on their carefully kept finances. He worked simply to save up for a car, to save up for his tuition at the University of Michigan, to save up for a bit of money in his pocket.

So on a day like any other day—_working to carve his own place in the world—_he saw her for the first time.

And for the next three years, _she_ became a regular fixture in his life.

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The door chimes.

_Ding!_

The shade of the cafe is a welcome relief on his eyes after being in the bright spring sun. The owner ushers her young son and daughter in after him. Shouldering his backpack higher on his shoulder, Sasuke's gaze sweeps over the tables.

There is a middle aged, unshaven man slowly eating a dish of Pad Thai by the window. A pile of papers lies under his elbow. He looks like he hadn't slept in days.

There is an old woman and her younger daughter glaring at each other over a plate of lo mien in the back corner.

There are two high school students and an older woman (_Mother? Sister? Aunt?)_ sitting at the table behind the low wall that separated the seating area from the ordering line. Each person has a cup of different flavored bubble tea while three forks rest at the edge of a plate of fried banana crepes. One glance at their uniforms tells Sasuke they are students at Bishop's, the private Catholic high school in the city.

At sight of the last table, Sasuke's thoughts take a bitter turn. They were lucky to have everything and not have to work so hard to get what they wanted.

If they had stayed in Japan...

He couldn't think like that. Staying in Japan was out of the question.

All heads turn to look at them at the sound of the door chime. The auntie working the lunch shift sighs in relief when she sees them. The woman with the two Bishop's kids stares at him with a strange half-smile on her lips before turning to the younger girl seated beside her to whisper something.

Her head snaps up, and Sasuke looks her for the first time.

greengreengreen eyes—

ravenravenraven hair—

She's strange.

And beautiful.

But more strange.

Her mouth frowns upon looking at him before saying something to the woman. Her male companion turns around to look at him as well before saying something to her that makes her snicker.

What strange people.

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Sasuke walks into the cafe on a Friday afternoon.

"Hey man." His American co-worker Aaron greets him. "I've got the funniest story for you."

Sasuke grunts to show he's listening as he washes his hands in the sink.

"So two weeks ago, this girl and her friend pull up in a freakin' Z _Roadster_ to get some bubble tea."

"That's... so funny, I'm laughing." Sasuke answers sarcastically.

Aaron shakes his head. "This is the funny part: her friend was looking for you."

Sasuke frowns. "What'd she look like?"

"Dark brown hair cut weird—you know, one side longer than the other— and about chin length, pale skin with freckles, really big hazel eyes."

He thinks about it, running the description against a list of people he knows. "Don't know her."

"Maybe you know her friend." Aaron suggests. "She was really cute. Long raven hair, Japanese, had the coolest green eyes I've ever seen."

Immediately, Sasuke recognizes the description. It's the Bishop's Girl from three months ago.

"Don't know her either." He shrugs as he wipes his hands dry with a paper towel.

_Why are you looking for me?_

Or are you?

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For the better part of his senior year, Sasuke avoids working the weekday shift, claiming he needs the time to work on end-of-the-year projects before his high school graduation.

Summer comes and Sasuke can't avoid working the weekday shifts anymore.

The memory of that girl unsettles him. But he hasn't seen her for a little more than a year.

A black Nissan 350Z pulls up to the small cafe before someone hops out from the driver's seat and casually walks inside. She takes off her sunglasses and stops in front of the register.

Sasuke, preoccupied with organizing the register and counting how much is inside the drawer, grunts, "I'll be with you in a minute."

The lilting voice sweetly tells him, "It's fine."

When he's done, Sasuke looks up and feels his insides freeze.

_Nowaynowaynoway_

"What can I get you?" He forces his mouth to move.

They make eye contact but her gaze shifts up to the menu. She orders two drinks—a strawberry and passionfruit slush with boba—before pulling out her wallet, a purple Pocchacco wallet he hasn't seen on a person since he was a kid, to pay.

Her phone rings, the chorus to the acoustic version of Breaking Benjamin's "Diary of Jane" blasting from her back pocket.

"Oh crap." She swears, attempting to pull her phone out while giving Sasuke her money.

"Hello?" She answers in a clipped voice.

"I'll get those for you shortly." Sasuke automatically tells her.

She moves the phone away from her mouth and smiles. "Thanks," She beams at him before walking off to a table to take her call. "Ino, I told you already-"

Even as he makes her drinks, he can't help himself from trying to eavesdrop on her conversation.

"Hold up chica, Sai's calling." She pushes a button at the same time Sasuke turns on the blender to make the strawberry slushie.

"God, you're insufferable... I need to go; Ino's on the other line."

Sasuke pushes a button the machine to seal off the drinks. She gets up from her table, still on the phone.

"Your order." He pushes the plastic cups towards her.

"Thanks." She says around her phone before grabbing two fat straws and poking them through the plastic. "Where am I? Buying boba." She replies into her phone as she walks out the door. "Oh shut up, I know I have an addiction..."

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He learns she has an incredible sweet tooth.

And an insatiable bubble tea addiction.

The next time he sees her, two weeks have gone by. Aaron tells him (again—he seems to have a horrible memory because he's already told Sasuke months before) about a green-eyed girl with a sweet voice and an even sweeter ride. Sasuke recognizes the description but says nothing more than, "Yeah, I've seen her."

Itachi calls in the middle of his shift.

"_Ototou."_

"What do you want, Itachi?" Sasuke snaps into his cell phone.

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is that any way to treat your older brother? You should be addressing me as Itachi-nii."_

"Whatever." Sasuke grunts. "What do you want, Itachi-_nii_?"

"_To talk._" His brother answers simply. _"See any girls you like? I hope so. Okaa-san is starting to save up money."_

"For what? And since when is she _not_ saving money?"

Itachi chuckles. _"Touche. But she's saving up money for you."_

"College fund?"

"_Try an emergency stash in case Otou-san kicks you out for being gay."_

"You're the gay one!"

"_I believe the correct term would be bisexual."_

"Which just proves how much of a whore you actually are."

"_I've never slept with a man. I've only admitting to finding a few rather attractive. Which, according to Deidara, does not constitute bisexuality."_

"Then what is it, Oh-Great-Vagina-Lover?" Sasuke mocks, thankful for the empty restaurant.

"_It's an admirable trait in men. Quite rare, actually. Heard of it? It's called humility. You could use some, Sasuke."_

A flash of light coming from outside catches Sasuke's attention. Someone pulls up to the cafe in a silver Toyota Prius.

"Itachi, I need to go and do my _job._"

"_Hey, if it's a girl, get her number."_

"I'm not going to go around picking up girls for you to sleep with."

"_Baka. Not for me. For you. Then Okaa-san will stop contributing to her In-Case-Sasuke-is-Gay fund. You know, you really should date a girl."_

"Good_bye_ Itachi." Sasuke snarls before shoving his phone into his pocket.

Two girls emerge from the front passenger and back doors before _she_ steps out of the driver's seat. The Bishop's Girl says something to them as her car beeps locked. One of the girls—an unnatural blonde if her Japanese build was anything to go by—pumps her fist in the air before jumping the curb and wrenching open the door, leaving her two companions to follow her at a slower pace.

The first thing he notices as he watches her through the window is her hair.

The raven color is streaked with cherry blossom pink.

Strangely enough, it looks good on her.

"Oh my God, Sakura," The taller of the trio scans the menu. "You guys actually have _boba._ In the middle of nowhere."

The raven-cherry pink girl glares at her.

"We're in Canton, Ino, not Iowa."

"Hey now," Ino defends herself. "You never know. I live in California with our thousands, probably millions, of Asians. You expect tea shops."

"Let me repeat," Bishop's Girl sighs. "_We're in Canton._ Twenty minutes away from a big university. That alone gives us diversity."

The third girl tuns to her. "What's good here?"

"I dunno. Everything? I like passionfruit."

"Oh my God Tenten, they have pineapple!" Ino shrieks.

Sasuke resists the urge to roll his eyes. Is this girl seriously _that _stupid? The other two sigh.

"Ino, it's not like we're in the middle of nowhere or something. Of course they'll have pineapple." The panda-looking one rolls her eyes.

Bishop's taps her foot impatiently. "Are you ready yet?"

"Go first chica."

She steps up to the counter and gives him a smile that says: _Tourists, right?_

He smirks faintly, mentally agreeing. "What can I get you?" He asks her, fully expecting the usual _passionfruit slush with boba._

"I'll have a passionfruit... green tea with boba. Large please."

"Four fifteen." He rings up her order.

Just as she pays for her drink, her phone rings. This time, her ringtone is the Pokemon theme song.

"Hello? Oh hey Neji."

She walks away from the counter. After a heated conversation with whoever called her, she hangs up and falls back in line beside Tenten. The brown-haired teen looks at her. "You're back?"

"Neji." She sighs as Tenten moves aside. "Hi, sorry, I'm back."

"It's fine." Sasuke tells her.

"Can I have a large coconut slush?"

"You want boba?"

She looks back at her two companions. "Oh come on, Saki, you know you have to get boba."

"Yes."

"Four eighty-nine."

She slides a five in his direction. Sasuke drops her change in her open palm before walking off to make their orders.

He makes the Bishop's Girl's drink first, calling out her order once he seals the cup. She bounces up to the counter and thanks him before taking a seat at a table. Over the sounds of the blender and the sealer, Sasuke catches snippets of their conversation, an easy feat in a restaurant with only them in it.

"Neji is such an ass." The Bishop's Girl grumbles. "Practically demanded for me to hurry up just so he can see Tenten."

"Oh God." Ino groans. "Really? That's a little rude."

"No... really?" Sakura shoots back sarcastically. "And then he asks me to bring him boba. I wish I wasn't such a nice person."

"Oh, Saki, you know you couldn't resist someone in need." Tenten grins.

"Right. Because boba deprivation is _such_ an urgent matter."

"Hey... it is to me!"

When they leave, Sasuke smirks.

He likes her attitude.

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2.

_sushi_

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The cafe was for sale. Shortly after the Bishop's Girl's last visit, it was sold to a new owner who immediately closed the place for renovations. Sasuke was out of work but he wasn't jobless for long; the Japanese sushi restaurant the next street over hired him immediately.

His observation and training week at the sushi house brought in familiar faces.

"Hello again!" The owner waves to the woman. "Welcome back!"

The woman greets him back with a smile. Sasuke recognizes her from that first meeting... the one who stared at him with a strange gleam in her eyes and was seated with the Bishop's Girl and that other boy.

Speaking of the other boy, he stood next to her. "Kaa-san," His deep voice sighs. "Can I go now? I dropped you and the girls off like you asked."

"Don't be such a jerkface, Sai." The girl with the dark brown hair chides. What was her name—Tenten?

"Can it Panda-chan. I wanted to take the Z but Sakura ran off with it before I could tell her."

Sasuke smirked. So he wasn't the only one who thought this girl's hairstyle made her resemble a panda. Good to know.

"Oh fine Sai. I'll get Sakura to pick us up. She's at Shogun on the next street over anyways." The woman names the Japanese hibachi restaurant before crushing her child to her breast and allowing him to exit.

The hostess, Ms. Chu, seats them at a table by the wall. After they order their drinks, the owner stops by and exchanges a few words with them. Catching their waiter before he reaches their table, Mr. Kim, the owner, tells him to get them an order of edamame on the house.

"They're frequent customers," Mr. Kim explains in an undertone to Sasuke before heading to the back, "So remember their faces. We love to reward loyal visitors."

Sasuke nods briefly to show he understands. Remembering faces won't be hard for him, especially if they appear often.

Right before the end of the main course, the door to the small restaurant opens and in steps a familiar head of raven and pink. Sasuke's back stiffens in his chair, waiting for her to notice him, but she doesn't.

"Hello! How many?" Ms. Chu asks.

She shakes her head and explains she's joining her mother before walking over to their table and taking a seat.

Sasuke can't help but follow her with his eyes from his observational post by the cash register.

_Who **are** you?_

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The last weekend of August was Sasuke's third week working at the sushi place.

"Hello!" Ms. Chu calls out her customary greeting. "How many?"

It's the woman and that girl.

She ushers them to a table for two in Sasuke's seating area.

"Sasuke, they're all yours." Ms. Chu tells him cheerfully, pushing him away from her register.

He takes a breath to collect his racing thoughts _(Why are you everywhere I go? Is this some kind of joke, a sick coincidence, or are you stalking me?). _"What can I get for you to drink?" Sasuke asks, his tone deceptively friendly.

The woman does not seem to recognize him as she orders a water with lemon, but the girl's green eyes widen before something in her gaze shifts and she places an order for hot tea despite her mother's disapproving stare.

By the time she hands Sasuke their sushi order form, Sasuke realizes that the Bishop's Girl knows exactly who he is and where they've met before.

"By the way," Her mother asks him after they place an order for green tea tempura ice cream sans whipped cream. "Did you used to work at that bubble tea cafe? What was it called, Sakura-chan?"

"Tapioca Express." The girl mutters, glaring at her mother.

"That's it! Did you?"

Stunned, Sasuke nods. "The owner sold the restaurant and it's under renovation." He explains.

"Oh! Do you think you'll go back once they're done? My daughter loves that place."

If looks could kill, this woman would be dead.

"She's the one who recognized you, after all."

His gaze shifts to the girl. She smiles sunnily but her eyes were still shooting daggers at her mother.

"Only because I go there so often." She answers softly.

"I don't know." Sasuke answers the woman's question. "But thanks for remembering me."

He feels like slapping himself. Why did he say that anyways?

She probably thinks he's a total dork.

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The next time he sees her, it's October.

She comes into the restaurant requesting a table for a party of five—Ms. Chu seats them in Sasuke's area.

Something is up, judging by the way Sakura _(with her strange hair and greengreengreen eyes, it's easy to remember her name)_ and her guy friend debate about seating arrangements before the rest of their party shows up. She takes her usual spot at the end facing the kitchen.

"What can I get for you to drink?"

She looks at him before glancing at her friend in alarm. "Um... hot tea."

The guy orders a Coke.

"Pepsi okay?" Sasuke asks boredly.

"Yeah." He answers, grinning at Sakura.

She leans forward to whisper something to him but unlike the bubble tea cafe, the restaurant's usual chatter drowns out everything she says.

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She comes back the next weekend, requesting a table for a party of six. The flamboyant blonde and the pretty Korean girl from the weekend before are with Sakura again but they are also joined by a couple and a muscular, jock-looking kid.

"What can I get for you to drink?" He asks.

One look at her stunned expression makes him chuckle.

"Hot tea."

Why does he even bother asking?

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The weekend of Halloween, she visits twice.

On the thirtieth, it's her parents, an aunt and her grandmother. They see each other but Sasuke is not waiting on her table.

A part of him is relieved.

A part of him is disappointed.

He hears his co-worker rattle off their order. Sasuke smirks when he hears the call for six orders of smoked salmon nigiri. He already knows that three of those orders are going straight to Sakura's stomach.

The next day, Halloween, she shows up with her brother. They're both dressed for the holiday as students from that manga his cousin Yuki likes to read, _Vampire Knight._

His co-worker, a foreign transfer student named Ga Eul, shares an amused grin with him.

Sakura glares at her brother, arguing heatedly with him as they sit down.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Sasuke cuts in.

She sighs. "Hot tea."

"Sierra Mist. We're ready to order, by the way."

They really were frequent customers if they already knew they served only Pepsi products.

She orders udon and her brother orders shrimp tempura. It's not until he's about to take the order back to the kitchen that Sasuke realizes he forgot to ask them about the tempura.

"On that tempura order, you don't want any vegetables, right?"

The boy looks at his sister in confusion. She sighs. "Yeah. He just wants shrimp."

"I'll have to ask the kitchen if they can do that." Sasuke replies, even though he knows they can.

She frowns slightly. "They usually can, but yeah... get back to us about that."

Sasuke asks the cook, who laughs in his face and calls him silly for even doubting their ability to accommodate their customers.

Running back to their table, he kneels by her side and goes over their order one more time. Sasuke knows he's just using the tempura as an excuse to talk to her. She answers his queries softly, refusing to meet his eyes.

Sasuke realizes then that he makes her nervous.

"She looks cute." Ga Eul comments leisurely to him half an hour later. "I wish I was that tiny to look that good in that uniform."

"You know what they're doing?" Sasuke asks as he watches them.

"Cosplay, right? I didn't think anyone in America did that."

"Sai!" Sakura kicks her brother under the table. "How dare you get ice cream on my masterpiece!"

"Whoops."

"Whoa." Ga Eul peers in for a closer look. "She _made_ that? She's good."

"I swear to God, if you got anything else on that, I'm going to cheerfully kill you."

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3.

_lists_

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She comes in frequently during the holidays, usually with her large group of friends, her family, and sometimes a crowd of Japanese kids she calls "the mini Yakuza."

Sasuke usually ends up being their waiter.

He starts making lists about her, lists of facts drawn from their conversations around the table. Sometimes, he thinks he actually knows her from those lists alone.

Like... Sasuke knows she highlights her hair cherry blossom pink and has worn green contacts since her freshman year at Bishop's to further distinguish herself from her identical twin brother Sai.

Her full name is Sakura Isabel Asako Suzumura Haruno. The Isabel came from her mother's college roommate, a Spanish transfer student. Her friend Lily _(the one who matches Aaron's description of the girl who was with her in the bubble tea cafe so long ago) _calls her "Sakura Five-Catholic-Middle-Names Haruno" whenever she gets exasperated with the girl.

Her current major is creative writing, but she's thinking about double majoring in biochem and English. She wants to be a doctor but she wants to write as well. Sakura and her friend Christine, a nursing student, joke around about opening up their own clinic if she ever went pre-med.

She's eighteen and a freshman at the University of Michigan—Sasuke's dream school. He can't help but be a little jealous since he's stuck at the community college until he can transfer in to U of M and has enough to pay his inevitable student loans.

She shares a Toyota Prius and a Nissan 350Z with her brother. The two interchange based on what they feel like driving. Although it usually ends up in a bloody fight for the keys to the Z.

She and her entire circle of friends are obsessed with anime. And they cosplay at conventions together. From stolen glances at pictures passed around the table, Sasuke knows they're pretty good at their craft. The twelve of them went to school at Bishop's together, with the exception of Christine, who went to Canton High.

On the side, Sakura loves watching Korean dramas and listening to K-pop.

She scored a 32 on her ACT and it got her grounded for two weeks.

Her favorite band of all time is Paramore while her favorite author is Karin Slaughter.

She plays the piano and takes guitar lessons from Sai.

Her nickname for him is "the Anime Paper Boy," not in reference to is attractiveness, but due to the fact that if she stuffed him into any cosplay of her choice, he'd look exactly like the character. At this, Sasuke has to smother his laughter. Doesn't she realize that by calling him an "Anime Paper Boy," she is also indirectly complimenting him? Wouldn't an anime-obsessed person realize that by now?

Although Sasuke's favorite fact about her is the one about her complete lack of a love life.

Never been kissed.

Never been in love.

Never had a boyfriend.

It makes him wonder if in some alternate universe, he could be the one to change that.

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The next time he sees her walk in with a girl he's never seen before, Sasuke knows there's something different about her visit.

It was the Saturday before Valentine's Day and everyone who had walked in was on a date to celebrate the holiday.

Her companion, an older girl she calls Shizune, turns around every so often to study him before Sakura reaches out and slaps her on the arm.

He's not their waiter tonight. Han, the new guy, has taken over the wall area.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you date a twenty-one-year-old." Sasuke suddenly hears as he walks by their table carrying a carafe of sake.

Sasuke tenses. Is she taken?

Why does he even care?

"SHIZUNE! I don't even like him! Besides, you wanted me to profile the Anime Paper Boy, so I am. I'm guessing twenty-one because of the sake."

Sasuke smirks and he feels himself relax.

Doesn't she know you only have to be eighteen to serve alcohol?

"He's cute though. Not my type."

"Right. Because your type happens to look like Justin Timberlake."

"Shut up Sakura."

That night, he knows he has her attention.

And that she's also making lists about him.

Sasuke can't help but feel ridiculously pleased.

(_I wonder what she's written?)_

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4.

_memory_

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She comes back in April, the weekend of Easter, for a party.

A large table for ten is set. Judging by the squeals and the "Oh my God, you're here"s, this is a reunion of some sorts.

Han, overwhelmed by their number and their energy, begs for Sasuke to help him out.

"Take pity on me and help out a friend."

"You're not my friend." Sasuke points out bluntly. "You're my co-worker."

Han gapes at him in disbelief. "Then starting today, we're friends who happen to be working together. And friends help out friends."

Sasuke is tempted to say no.

"You're here! I miss you soooo much!"

But the sound of her voice makes him reconsider.

"Fine." Sasuke consents. "But take all their drink orders. I'll help you out with serving dinner."

"Deal." Han breathes a sigh of relief. "I owe you man."

The pretty Korean girl (he figured out her name was Kira), Lily, Sakura, and Christine all sit in a line down one side of the table. Sakura isn't sitting at her usual place at the end of the table because Christine beat her to that seat.

"What can I get you to drink?" Han asks them.

He knows what she's going to get.

(_Hot tea—_his mind whispers.)

"Hot tea."

True to his word, Sasuke helps Han serve dinner.

"Sakura!" He hears Kira hiss. Suddenly, Sasuke feels three different gazes trained on him. He ignores them.

"Dude." Han gapes during a break. "Does it always get this busy?"

"Only on Friday and Saturday nights." Sasuke shrugs as he leans against the sushi bar counter.

"Waiter!" Another table calls for Han's attention.

"Damn. Listen, can you get that large table's dessert? Green tea tempura ice cream-"

—Sasuke immediately knows who ordered it before Han says—

"-For the two Asian girls."

"Waiter!"

"I'll be there!" Han hollers back. "Thanks Sasuke."

He sighs as he heads back into the kitchen. "Whatever."

Sasuke finds the dessert easily enough and picks it up, remembering to grab two spoons on his way out. Setting it down before Sakura _(only because she's closer and easier to get to—_his mind rationalizes), Sasuke hands them both a spoon and leaves them to their dessert.

He comes back to pick up the empty plate.

"Can I get you anything else to drink?" Sasuke asks the people at one end. _Her end._

She is drinking the last of her tea when she sputters and starts coughing. Instead of rubbing her back to ease the fire in her throat, Lily nudges her _hard_ in the ribs, making Sakura yelp in surprise.

"I'm _dying_ here and all you can do is put me in more pain? What kind of friend are you?" Sakura shrieks, completely unaware of Sasuke's nearby presence.

"I'll take a glass of water." Christine says, catching Sakura's attention.

When her head turns to look at her friend, she catches sight of him staring at her. Immediately, her head whips back around to look at her smirking friend.

"I hate you oh so very fucking much."

"Love you too Sakura."

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She comes in May for Mother's Day.

Mrs. Haruno beams at her daughter when Sasuke appears to take their drink orders.

Sai shoots his sister a pointed look. She sighs and shakes her head.

As the Harunos eat their usual dessert (_green tea tempura ice cream_), Mrs. Haruno stops him.

"Excuse me, but what's your name?"

Her husband sighs at his wife's antics while his children share horrified (_embarrassed_) glances.

"Sasuke."

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She comes in July to say goodbye.

The mini Yakuza walks in an hour and a half before closing. Sasuke recognizes all of them as customers to the restaurant at some point or another, together or with their respective families, during the year.

There's Sakura, Sai, a gangly teenage boy with weird, long brown hair, a girl with purple highlights, and a lean, bleached blonde boy.

Sasuke looks at them and notices the way the blonde seats himself next to Sakura, pushing Purple Highlights to the next chair over, making her protest angrily. Sakura says something—a reprimand, judging by her slight frown—to the blonde. He rubs the back of his head and gives Purple Highlights an apologetic hug.

Sasuke stands in between them at the corner as he takes their orders for drinks.

"God, I don't know what to get. I only have a twenty on me." The Weirdo peruses the menu.

"It's on me guys." Sakura tells them.

"Seriously?" The blonde's eyes go wide. "God, Saki, you're the best!"

Sai chuckles at his sister as she ponders her words further.

"Am I going to regret this?" She asks Purple Highlights across from her.

Her friend giggles. "Maybe? But seriously, you are the best."

He watches them throughout their visit, since the other two patrons are not half as entertaining. They all lean their heads together, whispering and occasionally laughing.

"Naruto!" Sakura swats him on the arm as they lean back in their chairs. "That's sick!"

"I'm a teenage boy." Naruto answers smugly as the others laugh.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke watches those two in particular. What is their relationship? Why does Naruto subtly flirt with her and the Weirdo doesn't? Why does her smile seem brighter for Naruto and not for the others?

He's not jealous, only curious.

"Dessert?"

Purple Highlight's eyes light up.

"Green tea ice cream, please." Sakura smiles.

Ms. Chu rings up their bill. Just as she's about to key in the ice cream, Sasuke stops her.

"Put it on the house."

"What?" She asks, confused. After all, this is Sasuke Uchiha they're talking about, Mr. I'm-too-cool-for-everybody, as Han put it once.

"Just do it. Deduct it from my pay if you really feel like charging for it."

"Are you _sick?_" Ms. Chu gapes at him as she rips the receipt out from the printer.

Assembling the folder _(sushi order form stapled to the printed receipt in the left pocket)_, Sasuke answers curtly, "Do you remember that lecture Mr. Kim gives everybody about remembering frequent customers' faces and rewarding their loyalty?"

"What about it?"

"That's what I'm doing."

Ms. Chu lets out a laugh. "Oh. I thought this was your way of making a move on that girl."

Sasuke freezes for just a moment.

"Don't be ridiculous." He mutters as he walks away from the register.

When he hands her the bill and she scans the items on the receipt, Sasuke remembers to tell her the ice cream is on the house.

Her shocked expression is priceless. But she collects herself.

"Thank you!" She smiles brightly at him in appreciation.

Sasuke walks away feeling smug.

_Can you make her smile as bright, Naruto-dobe?_

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When she walks into the restaurant dressed in a t-shirt that reads, "It's safer to assume I'm a NINJA," and a pair of black shorts, Sasuke can't help but stare.

There's something different about the way she looks.

Maybe it's standing next to her friend that emphasizes her lack of height.

Maybe it's the dazzling silver ring on her right middle finger that catches his attention as she sweeps a stray hair out of her eyes.

Maybe it's the way she keeps gesturing to her legs, forcing Sasuke's gaze to follow her arm movements.

He helps Han set up a table for fourteen at the edge of Sasuke's serving area. Ms. Chu waves them over. Predictably, Sakura takes a seat at the end.

She's gone when Sasuke asks her friend what she wants to drink. When she comes back, Sasuke finds her chatting with her friend and watching the door.

"What do you want to drink?"

She jumps before swiveling around to face him. Her eyes go wide with surprise before she smiles and says, "Hot tea please."

Her flamboyant blonde friend walks in through the door carrying a black dress. Behind him, Kira carries a dark t-shirt in her arms. Both are dressed in some otherworldly outfits. It takes Sasuke a moment to realize that they're wearing the exact same clothes from the poster hanging on his anime-obsessed older brother's wall. Moments after, a regularly dressed teen and a (_Man? Woman?_) person in black and white follow them to their table.

"It's about time you got here." Sakura jumps out of her chair.

"Quick—change. She'll be here any minute." Kira hands Katy the bundle in her harms and gestures to the dress in the blonde's hands.

Sakura takes the dress and runs to the bathroom. When she emerges five minutes later, Katy runs into the bathroom next.

Sasuke sets down her cup of tea. "Thanks." She murmurs, stripping all her jewelry off.

More and more people in costume join their table.

Then—

"SURPRISE! HAPPY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY LILY!"

Lily laughs. "You guys..."

Throughout dinner, he hears his name often. It's not difficult to eavesdrop on their conversation when they're sitting two feet away from his usual post by the cash register next to Han and Ms. Chu.

"Sakura!" A guy on the end hollers. "Lily would like for you to hit on the Anime Paper Boy as her birthday gift."

Her jaw goes slack.

"Oh hell no. Not when I just ran up and down Twelve Oaks looking for a stupid stand that doesn't exist."

"Sakura doesn't even like him." Christine reminds the guy.

The flamboyant blonde turns to her. "Saki sweetie, you should!"

"No! That's your sick fantasy, not mine! You just want me to date him so you can say that I am!"

"But he's one damn fine catch!"

"You're _gay,_ Mark. You think every Asian guy you run into is a catch."

"But it's true! Especially in this case."

"Stuff it, Mark."

Sasuke feels a chill go down his spine when he makes eye contact with the blonde.

He's been hit on by lots of girls before and has several phone numbers written on the back of receipts collecting dust in the back room. But this is the first time Sasuke has ever been hit on by a guy.

Dinner goes by without further mention of Sasuke's nickname. He stands at his usual post by the register with Han. They're close enough to listen to and entertaining enough to be worth listening to. There is no limit to what they discuss. One minute, they're discussing the gay nightclub in downtown Detroit and the next, they're talking about the best way to drive to Canada. Sakura and Katy compare Kira to famous and beautiful Korean celebrities, pulling up pictures on Mark's iPhone as reference before Kira changes the topic to the last episode of _Kuroshitsuji,_ sparking a heated rant between the two Asians. Then, Mark starts up on Sakura's nonexistent love life.

"Sakura, I don't understand you sometimes."

"What's there to understand?"

"You're freakin' gorgeous—"

"—That's true—" Kira interjects.

Sakura shoots her a withering glance. "Oh you shut up. You're prettier than me by a long shot."

"—And there are lots of guys hitting on you but you don't want any of them. I don't get it. Are you waiting for something?"

"The Paper Boy!" Kira giggles, making Katy laugh out loud.

Her glare intensifies. "Can it you. The Paper Boy has nothing to do with this."

"You should date him!" Mark urges. "Oh Sasuke... I love you..." He sighs dramatically.

_How the hell do they know my name?_ Sasuke wonders to himself, feeling like his privacy has been intruded upon.

"I already told you: I am not hitting on or dating a complete and total stranger. For starters, that's super creepy and I am not a creeper like you, Mark. Besides, how do you know his name?"

_My thoughts exactly. I knew there was a reason why I liked you._

"Um... you told me."

"Right. My mom asked. That's embarrassing."

"Oh I know!" Kira's face lights up.

Sasuke doesn't hear the rest of their conversation because another table has called for his attention.

"Waiter-"

_(Sasuke hates being called 'waiter' like he was born to serve)_

"-could you bring us some lemons?"

_What the hell do you need lemons for? You don't have water._

"Sure. I'll be back." Sasuke answers coolly.

In the kitchen, Paolo the cook stares at Sasuke like he's grown another head.

"_Lemons?"_

"Hn."

"For what?"

"Oh I don't know, but nothing is impossible if it accommodates the customer's needs." Sasuke sarcastically throws Paolo's own words back at him.

The cook lightly glares.

"I liked you better when you didn't speak." Paolo grudginlgy hands over a small plastic dish of lemon wedges.

When he passes by their party ten minutes after the lemons incident, Mark grabs his attention.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mark grins.

"Sure." Sasuke answers easily, moving around to grab an empty cup on the table to refill it.

"Do you think she's pretty?"

Sasuke pauses and looks at who Mark is pointing at. To his amusement, his finger points directly at Kira.

"Not me! Not me, you moron! You were supposed to ask about Sakura!" Kira flails her arms, her face red.

Sakura laughs. "Good move, my dear gay bestie. Kira needs someone to boost her self-confidence."

Sasuke gives them an amused smirk before quietly answering, "Yes," and walking back to the kitchen to refill their friend's empty cup.

When he returns to his usual post, they're discussing how to retain some semblance of dignity.

"I should have never told you that plan and just done it myself." Kira grumbles as Sasuke swipes Sakura's empty tea cup off the table.

"More tea?" He asks Christine at the opposite end.

She nods gratefully and hands him her tea cup.

When he returns, Mark grabs his attention again. Sasuke stops beside Sakura, setting down a new cup of tea by her hand.

"Got another question for you."

"Shoot." Sasuke nods.

"Do you think _she's_ pretty?" He points to Sakura.

"Mark!" She screeches, her face red.

Sasuke glances down at her and smiles faintly at the sight of her embarrassed face.

"Yes."

He answers softly before running back to the kitchen for no reason whatsoever.

"What's up with you?" Han asks him, carrying a platter of sushi.

"Nothing." Sasuke answers abruptly before smirking triumphantly to himself.

"Sasuke! Can you take this to table twelve?" Paolo yells.

When he walks by the table again, Katy, Kira, and Sakura's faces are hidden from view with a bewildered Mark laughing at them.

"What?"

"I'm embarrassed to be in the same company of you." Sakura mutters.

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5.

_meeting_

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After that embarrassing incident, Sasuke continues to see her throughout the year.

In March, she walks in with Shizune, Purple Highlights, Tenten, and Ino.

"Happy Birthday Sakura!" Purple Highlights hugs her as they enter the sushi house.

She grins sheepishly.

"Thanks Hinata. Although, was it necessary to lock Sai in a closet on his birthday too?"

"Oh screw your brother." Ino replies flippantly. "Because what we want to accomplish cannot be done in the younger twin's presence."

She frowns. "Ino..."

"Over here!" Ms. Chu waves them to their table in the center—Sasuke's serving area.

Han grins when he sees them and gives Sasuke a nudge in the arm.

"You should talk to her."

Sasuke gives him a look.

"Oh c'mon man." Han cajoles him. "You know you want to. Quit being such an anti-social freak and grab the girl's number. She's practically in the palm of your hand."

"She doesn't even like me." Sasuke points out. "And she's not in the palm of my hand."

"Just go. Strike up a conversation."

Sasuke sighs before heading over to their table. They haven't noticed him until he clears his throat and asks his customary question.

"Um... Sprite." Shizune requests.

"Sierra Mist, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Dr. Pepper for me!" Tenten bounces in her chair.

"Lemonade, please." Hinata says.

Ino looks up over her menu. "Just water."

"Lemon with that?"

"Sure, why not?"

Finally, his favorite.

Sakura smiles wryly. "Is there really any point of asking me anymore?"

Smirking, Sasuke answers, "I'll be back with your tea."

He brings them their food.

"Anything for dessert?"

"Can I see what you have on your menu?" Shizune asks.

Sasuke considers telling the girl that bringing her a menu was pointless since he could just _tell_ her but he decides against it. Returning a few moments later, Sasuke wordlessly hands it to her and leaves.

"Paolo, make an order of green tea tempura ice cream." Sasuke walks back into the kitchen.

"Got it, kid. Say, is your girlfriend in today?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sasuke replies over his shoulder.

"One ticket?" Sasuke asks as they polish off the rest of their dessert.

"Yeah. And give it to me please." Sakura requests.

"Oh no." Shizune chides her. "It's your birthday. The birthday girl does not pay."

"Watch me." Sakura shoots back.

Ms. Chu rings up their ticket. "Hey, it's that pink haired girl's birthday, right?"

Sasuke shrugs. "I guess so."

The ticket prints out and Ms. Chu rips it out from the machine.

"Tell her the ice cream is on us." She smiles as she staples it to their order form.

Sasuke grabs the folder but Ms. Chu holds him back.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Be sure to wish her happy birthday. And get her phone number." She laughs at him.

The back of his neck grows warm.

"Whatever." Sasuke mumbles as he walks away.

He hands her the bill as she requested. Shizune makes a dive for it but Sakura holds it out of reach.

"This is so unfair. You're shorter than all of us but we can't even snatch the bill away from you." Shizune pouts.

"Get over it." Sakura laughs as she sticks her card in the folder and hands it back to Sasuke.

Han swipes her card, taking a moment to read the name printed on it.

"Sakura Haruno, huh?" He grins suggestively as the receipts print out. "Pretty name."

He says nothing.

"By the way," Sasuke mentions as he hands Sakura back the folder. "The hostess wishes you happy birthday. And that the ice cream is on us."

She looks up from reading the receipt.

"Thank you."

When he comes back to pick up the folder, they stand up to leave.

"Thank you for coming!" Ms. Chu waves.

They wave back. "Thanks for having us!" Ino yells back.

Sasuke opens up the folder, preparing to input the numbers into the computer. His eyes widen slightly at the generous tip _(thirteen dollars for a sixty-three dollar meal_) but he thinks nothing more of it.

An impression showing through the receipt catches Sasuke's attention and he flips the small slip of paper over.

_Thanks for everything and for helping make this birthday memorable. :)_

_ -Sakura_

Something else catches Sasuke's eye. Another note scribbled at the top of the stapled order form is addressed to "the Anime Paper Boy."

Sasuke.

_She's totally going to kill me for this, but here's her number: 7346724468_

_ -Ino 3_

Han peers over his shoulder and claps him on the shoulder. Sasuke winces at the contact.

"I knew you could do it." He grins.

He's about to throw away the order form, but he stops to tear off the note and slips it into his pocket before tossing the rest of the form in the trash.

Maybe just this once.


	2. sakura

of bubble tea, sushi, lists, memories, and meetings

Callista Miralni

_because I decided Sakura needed a piece too._

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_Inspired by:_ rawrchelle. And a certain string of embarrassments.

_Dedicated to:_ Kathy and Elena—for sharing these moments with me

* * *

.:sakura:.

1.

_bubble tea_

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Sakura Haruno was a professional cynic.

She didn't believe in much of anything anymore, not after Naruto Uzumaki broke her heart and decided to leave his best friend since forever in pursuit of a "cooler" crowd.

Her twin brother Sai was shocked to see his older sister cry.

If it weren't for her veryveryvery large group of dorky friends and her lovinglovingloving twin, Sakura knew she would be falling to pieces more frequently than she already did.

That's why when she woke up in the morning and slipped the greengreengreen contacts into her dark eyes, Sakura knew she can handle every shocking thing that blew her way.

Lily dating their good friend Lacee? That's adorable.

Mark finally emerging from the closet and admitting he's gay? It's about damn time.

Kira crying over her wounded heart because their idiot friend Scott trampled all over it? Prepare for a beating.

The day her mother _(her sweet, loving, strange mother)_ decided to pick her sixteen-year-old twins up from school just like the good old days and take them out for an afternoon treat was unusual, but not shocking. Sakura learned over the years to just go along with her mother's whims.

However—_he _was a whim that Satsuki Haruno continually entertained.

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The door chimes.

_Ding!_

"Welcome to Tapioca Express!"

Sai pulls on his sister's shirtsleeve and nods with his head towards the menu on the left. Curious, the teen follows her twin's gaze and gasps in delight.

Bubble tea. She hasn't had that since they went to Colorado last Christmas to visit their relatives.

"Kaa-chan!" Sakura smiles. "Is this the surprise you wanted to give us?"

The woman nods. "Mhmm. You love boba, don't you Sakura-chan?"

_And you need to smile more often._

"Hai!"

They order passionfruit (Sakura), lychee (Satsuki), and strawberry (Sai) slushies.

"Oh and a plate of your banana crepes." Satsuki adds at the last minute.

Sitting down and enjoying their snack at a nearby table, Sakura realizes she misses these afternoons with her mother.

_Ding!_

The door chimes again.

Sakura glances up and sees another woman entering with three kids but goes back to her meal. Her mother also looks up.

"Saki-chan," She whispers.

"Hm?"

"That boy looks just like one of your anime characters... like Andou Tsubasa."

Her head shoots up to take another look at the boy. She is stunned by his features because for once, her mother is _right._

darkdarkdark spiky hair—

onyxonyxonyx eyes—

"Nah." Sakura disagrees. "He looks more like Natsume to me."

Turning around in his chair, Sai also takes a look. "He looks like a woman."

Sakura snickers. "That's what you say about every anime paper boy you run across."

"But it's true!"

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The craving for tea and boba is unbelievable.

The day school let out in June, Sakura finds herself driving to the little cafe tucked away in the shopping plaza. In the passenger seat of the Nissan 350Z Roadster she shares with her brother, one of her best friends, Lily, enjoys the afternoon breeze.

"And there's this incredibly hot guy working here?" Lily asks her for the nth time.

"My mom thinks he's hot. I think he looks scarily like an anime paper boy." Sakura clarifies.

"Which automatically means he's hot." Lily grins as she wrenches open the cafe door.

"Welcome to Tapioca Express!" The only person in the cafe greets them.

To Lily's disappointment, it's not the incredibly hot Asian guy, but a Caucasian, art-obsessed (if the paint splattered pants were anything to go by) teen with an eye on Sakura's car working the counter.

"Maybe he's the owner's kid and was just in the shop that one day." Lily suggests.

Sakura sighs. "You're hopeless."

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The summer after her high school graduation, Sakura finds herself frequenting the bubble tea cafe once a week.

There's something quaint about the cafe's silence. If she had ever remembered to bring her laptop, Sakura could sit for hours at a table and work on her novel in peace. As it was, she only had enough time to order what she wanted before running off to her next errand.

Parking her car, Sakura enters the cool shade of the cafe and pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head. To her surprise, her mother's "Anime Paper Boy" is working the counter. Sakura can feel her ears grow warm as she remembers their first meeting more than a year ago and her mother's loaded glances and words.

How embarrassing.

"I'll be with you in a minute." He grunts, preoccupied with the register.

"It's fine." Sakura assures him, taking the moment to scan the menu. She is torn between a passionfruit slush and Thai tea.

_Which do I want more?_

"What can I get for you?" She finally hears him speak.

Her head snaps back to him and for a moment, their eyes meet. Immediately, she remembers her mother.

_Oh God..._

"I'll take a passionfruit slush with boba and a strawberry slush with boba." She wrenches her eyes back to the menu before digging around her bag for her Pocchacco wallet.

As she pulls out a ten, a one, and some coins, her phone rings in her back pocket.

"Oh crap." She mutters under her breath, trying to pull her phone out with the same hand holding her wallet and giving the teen her money with her other hand.

"Hello?" She tucks the phone in between her ear and her shoulder.

"_Saki! Are you excited for me to pummel Naruto?"_ Her cousin Ino Yamanaka's voice cries out excitedly.

"I'll get those for you shortly." The Anime Paper Boy says to her.

Sakura looks at him and smiles apologetically. "Thanks." She answers gratefully before walking off to a table to take her call. "Ino, I told you already, you don't need to beat up Naruto."

"_Sakura, it's been almost two years."_

"Even better. Look, Naruto's not worth it."

A beep in her ear tells Sakura she has another incoming call. One glance at the caller id on her screen shows her brother is calling.

"Hold up chica, Sai's calling."

"_Blasted cousin. This is a very important conversation he's interrupting!"_

Sakura pushes 'SWITCH' on her phone. "What do you want?" She asks irritably.

"_Did you get my boba?"_

She sighs. "I got it..."

"_Good. By the way, Naruto is coming over in a bit."_

"... _what?_"

"_Yeah, we've had it scheduled for a week. He's coming at three to play _Call of Duty_."_

"Oh, so _now_ you decide to tell me that." Sakura lashes out.

"_Sakura, if I had told you earlier, you would have fought tooth and nail against it."_

"No." She denies.

"_Yes."_ She hates the fact that Sai knows her so well. _"Naruto's my friend too. Just because the two of you don't get along, it doesn't mean that you have to keep me from hanging with him. Besides, you took the Z when I told you yesterday I wanted to use it. This is payback for being such a bitch."_

"God, you're insufferable!"

"_Live with it Sakura."_ Her brother snaps.

"I need to go; Ino's on the other line." Sakura's voice shakes from anger, using every possible excuse to stop talking to her twin before she says something she'll regret later.

To her relief, she sees that the guy is sealing her orders closed. Sakura gets up from her chair as she hangs up and Ino's voice floods her ear.

"_Saki, what was that about?"_

"Your order." He pushes the cups towards her.

"Thanks." Sakura sighs as she picks up two straws from a nearby container and stabs the plastic covering with them.

"_Where are you?"_ Ino asks upon hearing the male voice in the background.

"Where am I? Buying boba."

"_Geez Sakura, you have a serious addiction to that stuff."_

"Oh shut up, I know I have an addiction." Sakura grumbles as she pushes open the door and walks back to her car.

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Two weeks later, Sakura finds herself seated in her Prius waiting for her cousins at the airport.

Ino Yamanaka's blonde hair with light brown lowlights and her light tan makes her look stunning rather than trashy like so many of the _ganguro_ girls they see in Shibuya. Her blue eyes (Sakura giggles when thinking of the day they both visited the optometrist in California and came back with different colored eyes) sparkle when she sees Sakura's car idling at the curb.

Beside Ino, their other cousin Tenten Nagasaki sports a more natural beauty with her track tan and her natural chocolate brown hair caught up in their usual two buns atop her head.

"I love the new hair!" Ino plays with a section of raven and cherry blossom pink. "It looks good on you. Not too pink, not too black. I've got to get the number of your stylist."

"If it suits you. By the way, I have a treat for you two." Sakura grins as she helps load their suitcases in the trunk.

"Such as?"

"That's a secret, dear cousin." Tenten pouts.

Sakura drives off, taking the familiar highways home to Canton and stopping in front of her favorite cafe. She hesitates before she takes off her seatbelt.

"Do you remember that mortifying story I told you about my mom and some guy at this cafe?"

"Yeah... why?" Tenten asks.

"Um... he might... be... here."

"Yes!" Ino whoops in glee. "Pretty Asian boy—here we come!"

"Ino, please don't make a spectacle of yourself." Sakura begs as she locks her car.

"Too late." Tenten shakes her head as Ino opens the door.

"Oh my God Sakura," Ino stares at the menu in shock. "You guys actually have boba. In the middle of nowhere."

Sakura glares at her cousin. "We're in Canton, Ino, not Iowa."

"Hey now," Ino defends herself. "You never know. I live in California with our thousands, probably millions, of Asians. You expect tea shops."

"Let me repeat," Sakura sighs. "_We're in Canton._ Twenty minutes away from a big university. That alone gives us diversity."

Tenten turns to Sakura. "What's good here?"

"I dunno. Everything? I like passionfruit."

"Oh my God Tenten, they have pineapple!" Ino shrieks.

The Anime Paper Boy _(that name is forever in Sakura's mind as his name)_ looks like he wants to shoot himself at Ino's stupidity. Tenten and Sakura only sigh at their cousin's antics.

"Ino, it's not like we're in the middle of nowhere or something. Of course they'll have pineapple." Tenten rolls her eyes.

Sakura taps her foot impatiently. "Are you ready yet?"

"Go first chica."

She steps up to the counter and gives the Paper Boy a smile that says: _Tourists, right?_

He smirks faintly. "What can I get you?" He asks her.

"I'll have a passionfruit... green tea with boba. Large please."

"Four fifteen." He rings up her order.

Just as she pays for her drink, her phone rings. This time, her ringtone is the Pokemon theme song.

"Hello? Oh hey Neji."

She walks away from the counter.

"_You with your cousins yet?"_

"Yeah, I just picked them up."

"_Good. Can I see them today?"_

"What?" Sakura pauses. "We'll come get you."

"_What time?"_

"Time? Um... give us an hour."

"_I can't wait an hour! I want to see them now!"_

"What do you mean you don't have an hour? You little prick..." Sakura snarls.

"_Where are you?"_ Neji interrupts her tirade.

"I'm getting bubble tea..."

"_At the usual?"_

"Yeah. You want something?"

"Who is that?" Ino slides up to her side.

She mouths _Neji_ before going back to her phone. "Fine. Coconut slush. Got it."

"_So when are you coming to get me?"_

"What? I will come get you when I get you. Sheesh. So impatient."

She hangs up and falls back in line beside Tenten. The brown-haired teen looks at her. "You're back?"

"Neji." She sighs as Tenten moves aside. "Hi, sorry, I'm back."

"It's fine." The Paper Boy tells her.

"Can I have a large coconut slush?"

"You want boba?"

She looks back at her two companions. "Oh come on, Saki, you know you have to get boba."

"Yes."

"Four eighty-nine."

She slides a five in his direction. The teen drops her change in her open palm before walking off to make their orders. Sakura and her two cousins take a seat at a table.

"Neji is such an ass." Sakura grumbles. "Practically demanded for me to hurry up just so he can see Tenten."

"Oh God." Ino groans. "Really? That's a little rude."

"Passionfruit green tea with boba." Sakura hears.

She gets up from her chair to pick up her order. "Thanks." She says to the Paper Boy before continuing her conversation with her visitors.

"No... really?" Sakura shoots back sarcastically as she plops down in her chair again. "And then he asks me to bring him boba. I wish I wasn't such a nice person."

"Oh, Saki, you know you couldn't resist someone in need." Tenten grins.

"Right. Because boba deprivation is _such_ an urgent matter."

"Hey... it is to me!"

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2.

_sushi_

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When Sakura steps into the cool lights of her family's favorite sushi place, the hostess whose name she never got waves to her and asks how many will be eating with her today.

She shakes her head and informs her that she's joining a party already present.

"What's this?" Sakura gestures to the pile of edamame shells.

"They—" Tenten munches on another piece. "—Gave this to us for free. These people are awesome. Do you really come here that much?"

Sakura sighs.

"Yes. Cheapest and the best sushi in town."

"Dude, I'd come here everyday." Ino takes a sip of her Dr. Pepper.

Sakura takes a pod and cracks it open. "If you say so. By the way, Sai is a jerkface. He came storming into the middle of my dinner with my friends, stole the keys to the Z and left me with the Prius. What's up with that?"

Her mother has the grace to look slightly guilty. "Ah... I forced him to take us here because I didn't feel like driving. He was supposed to go out tonight with Naruto and the boys."

Sakura stiffens at the name.

"I see."

She never noticed the familiar face in the back corner.

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Her brother and father decided to go on a weekend retreat to Chicago.

Male bonding—they called it.

So her mother decided to take her daughter out to dinner on Saturday night before she goes to college in Ann Arbor.

They enter the sushi restaurant and are seated by the wall.

"I don't understand why Tou-chan has to go to Chicago with Sai this weekend. We're about to go to school." Sakura grumbles to her mother.

"Oh Saki, let your father spend some time with his only son. Besides, it's not so bad to spend time with me, is it?"

Sakura opens her mouth to reply but their waiter comes by.

"What can I get for you to drink?" She hears a smooth voice say.

Her mother orders water with lemon and Sakura hears herself say "Hot tea," but she's too shocked to say anything more.

It's the Anime Paper Boy.

In her favorite restaurant.

Serving her.

_Oh boy._

To her relief, her mother does not seem to recognize him. However, Satsuki Haruno does take note of his good looks.

"He's _extremely_ good-looking." She comments to her daughter just as he leaves to place their order with the kitchen.

Her eye twitches. "You do know where we've seen him before, right?"

"No... where?"

"Remember? The guy from TapEx you said looked like Tsubasa but Sai and I thought he looked like Natsume?"

Her mother steals another glance.

"Oh my God, you're right. It is him."

He comes by their table to ask about dessert. They order green tea tempura ice cream without whipped cream.

"By the way," Satsuki casually asks. "Did you used to work at that bubble tea cafe? What was it called, Sakura-chan?"

She can't believe her mother sometimes.

"Tapioca Express." She mutters, shooting mental daggers at her mother.

"That's it!" Satsuki's face lights up. "Did you?"

The Paper Boy looks a little stunned, but he nods and explains, "The owner sold the restaurant and it's under renovation."

Sakura vaguely remembers seeing a 'For Sale' sign in the cafe window. So the place actually got sold. She hadn't been there in a month because she had family in town.

"Oh really? Do you think you'll go back to working there once they're done? My daughter loves that place."

Her glare intensifies. How dare her mother put her on the spot like that? It sounds so... suggestive, as if the only reason Sakura liked going there was because of _him._

"She's the one who recognized you, after all."

_I'm going to murder this woman._ Sakura thinks darkly before slipping on a fake smile.

"Only because I go there so often." Her words have a sharp edge to them.

"I don't know." The Paper Boy finally answers. "But thanks for remembering me."

The dark cloud in her eyes vanishes, replaced by amusement.

_Who in their right mind thanks someone for that? What a dork..._

"Kaa-chan!" Sakura hisses as he leaves to take their order back to the kitchen. "What on earth possessed you to _ask?_ I already told you I knew it was him!"

"I had to check, Sakura-chan." Her mother replies airily.

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It's fall break. A few of her friends decide to eat dinner together at the sushi restaurant.

It's the first time they've been apart for so long. Even her younger friends—Kira and Katy, who are one and two grades below them respectively—miss their presence at Bishop's.

Tonight though, Sakura is determined to help her dear friend Alec make his more-than-friendly feelings known to the oblivious Kira.

"Okay, so if you sit at the end, I'll sit over here"—Sakura points to a chair farther away—"and she'll sit in between."

Alec raises a question. "Are you sure she won't spend her entire time talking to you instead of me if we do things that way?"

She considers it. "Good point. Okay. I'll sit here—" She points to her usual corner chair "—and if Mark sits next to me, she'll be forced to sit next to you _across_ from me because Liam will instinctively sit across Mark."

"Sounds like a plan."

They take their seats.

"Hey Alec, do you remember that story I told you about my mom embarrassing the shit out of me?"

Alec laughs. "What about it?"

Sakura casts a wary look around the small restaurant. "He might be here tonight."

"Really? You see him?"

She searches again.

"No."

"Nothing to worry about. So what's good to eat here?"

They are so engrossed in their menus that the voice startles them.

"What can I get for you to drink?" Their waiter finally shows up.

Sakura looks up and stares at Alec in horror. Alec frowns slightly when he sees the panic in her eyes.

"Umm... hot tea."

"I'll take a Coke."

"Pepsi okay?" The Paper Boy checks.

While his head is turned, Sakura mouths, _It's him!_ to Alec. He flashes a Cheshire smile at her.

"Yeah."

When the Anime Paper Boy walks off, Sakura seizes Alec's shirt sleeve. "Oh my fucking God—that's him!"

He laughs. "I can see that."

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The next weekend, her friends meet at the restaurant to hang out.

Kira and Mark are with her again, but this time, Christine, her boyfriend Rick, and Jake join them.

"Hey girl!" Christine envelopes Kira and Sakura in a tight hug. "How are my precious Asians doing?"

"Good."

They take a seat at their table.

"What can I get for you to drink?" Their waiter appears at Sakura's elbow.

She freezes, recognizing the voice, before slowly glancing upwards.

"Hot tea."

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On Halloween weekend, she visits twice.

The first time, she goes with her parents, her father's sister, and her mother's mother. Sai is absent, stuck tutoring a girl up at school.

They're celebrating her father's birthday. And they have a different waiter this time, much to Sakura's relief.

Her mother looks disappointed.

The next day, Sai comes home and insists on dressing up for the occasion.

"Let's eat out." He persuades his twin. "You and me while Kaa-chan and Tou-san are at a party."

She gives in. "What do you want to wear?"

He thinks about it. "_Vampire Knight."_

Shooting her twin a surprised look, Sakura says nothing as she goes into her closet and searches for the uniforms.

"Here." She tosses him the black and white ensemble before shooing him out of her room to change into her own.

"Where do you want to go?" Sakura asks him as she slides into the passenger seat of the 350Z.

Sai thinks for a moment. "You know, I'm craving sushi."

She freezes. "No."

"Please?"

"No."

"C'mon Saki..."

"I ate there yesterday."

"But I didn't. For me? Please?"

She can't resist that pleading face, a mirror image of her own.

"Fine."

They speed off down the familiar streets. Opening the door to the restaurant, Sakura shoots her brother a dirty look when she sees that not even the _children_ dining tonight are in costume.

To further add to her embarrassment, the Paper Boy and his Korean co-worker share an amused smile with each other. The hostess has the grace to ignore their attire as she leads them to their table.

"How on earth did I let you talk me into doing this, Sai?" She hisses as they take their seats.

Sai shrugs. "I dunno. It's Halloween?"

"I wonder what told you that? Was it our twin connection, the calendar, or the number of people dressed up on the streets?" She retorts sarcastically. Sakura glances around the restaurant quickly. "And why is it that we're the only people dressed up in this place?"

"Maybe it's because we're the only people young enough and crazy enough to do so." Sai offers as he looks through the menu.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

Sakura looks up and sighs. Of course. Someone up there really hates her.

"Hot tea."

"Sierra Mist." Sai adds. "We're ready to order, by the way."

The Paper Boy pulls out the pen and notepad from his pocket.

"I'll have a bowl of udon." Sakura shuts her menu.

"And I'll have shrimp tempura."

The Paper Boy says he'll be back with their drinks. Sakura sighs in relief when he leaves and Sai pats her arm consolingly.

"It's fine, Sakura."

"No, it's not. I can't even look at him without remembering Kaa-san and her... awkwardness."

"Get over it." Sai tells her brusquely.

She knows he really means: _You'll be fine._

"On that tempura order, you don't want any vegetables, right?"

Sakura nearly jumps out of her skin at the Paper Boy's sudden reappearance. Sai tries to remember what he ordered and looks to his sister for help.

She sighs again when she realizes Sai is depending on her to answer for him.

"Yeah. He just wants shrimp."

Their waiter's response surprises her. "I'll have to ask the kitchen if they can do that."

She frowns. "They usually can, but yeah... get back to us about that."

When he leaves, Sakura exhales deeply and shoots her brother another dirty look.

"What?" Sai asks innocently.

"Don't even try that with me, Sai Haruno."

"The cook said it's fine. So shrimp tempura?"

Sakura nearly jumps out of her seat again as the Paper Boy kneels right beside her and goes over their order again.

"Yeah."

This guy... he makes her incredibly uneasy.

To her relief, he leaves them alone for dinner, coming back only to refill their drinks and ask them about dessert.

Sai takes the initiative to order their usual.

"This is really good." He mumbles through a spoonful of green tea tempura ice cream.

A single drop slides off his spoon and splatters onto the sleeve of his jacket.

"Sai!" Sakura kicks her brother under the table. "How dare you get ice cream on my masterpiece!"

"Whoops." Her brother takes his napkin and wipes it off.

"I swear to God," Sakura gives him a dangerous smile. "If you've gotten anything else on that, I'm going to cheerfully kill you."

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3.

_lists_

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Sakura knows that the holidays, when all her friends are home from college, are the times they visit the sushi restaurant the most.

She's stopped being surprised whenever the Anime Paper Boy appears at her side, waiting on their table.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't fail to make her nervous.

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The day before Valentine's Day, she and her childhood best friend Shizune decide to have a girl's night out before Shizune's boyfriend smothers her in the festivities of the holiday.

But Shizune is on a mission tonight.

Operation: Sashimi

Objective: Find out more about this Paper Boy her dear best friend is so mortified about.

They're seated by the wall and a new guy comes by to take their drink orders.

Shizune gives her a look.

"Please tell me that wasn't him."

Sakura snorts at her shallowness. "It's not."

"Good. Because he wasn't Paper Boy material at all."

Suddenly, Sakura sees a familiar figure walk by.

"Shizu, that's him." She whispers.

The older girl turns her head to look. "Damn! I can't see his face!"

They wait with bated breath for him to turn around.

"Oh..." Shizune smirks. "Nice pick. There's hope for you after all."

Sakura groans and slaps her arm to pull her friend's gaze away from him. "You're incorrigible."

They order their sushi.

"So, you know anything about him?"

"No." Sakura glares. "Because unlike most women, I am not a total creeper."

"But unlike most women, you are psychologically attuned. C'mon Saki, profile him. Work your magic."

"Hm... fine." Sakura laughs at the backwards compliment. "He's most likely a college student at one of the community colleges."

"Good." Shizune's smile grows wider. "What else?"

"Probably immigrated here from Asia, judging by the slight accent when he speaks."

"You know he's got an accent? Sa~ku~ra~! You've been pay attention to his every word!"

She sweatdrops at her best friend's idiocy. "Um... yeah. Because he's my _waiter_ and I _have_ to pay attention to what he's saying. Besides, my mom's the one who told me that one."

"Damn. Foiled again." Shizune pouts.

"I'd guess he's either Japanese, Taiwanese or Korean. And he's probably fluent in whatever his native language is."

"Anything else?"

Sakura studies his back a little closer.

"Most likely hangs out with a bunch of Asians. Probably knows how to skateboard and play a musical instrument, either the guitar or the piano. If he's not listening to hip-hop, then he's a fan of alt-punk. The skater, emo stuff."

"Geez, this is pretty detailed."

She smirks. "I try. Anyways, if he's got a car, it's gonna be a Nissan or a Honda, but a Toyota or Mazda is possible if he inherited it from his mom. Probably has siblings."

"Older or younger?"

"Older. You can tell by the way he listens more closely to older adults like my parents."

"Maybe he's just polite?"

"He's _Asian_, Shizu. We're all polite."

"Touche. But you haven't said the most important thing."

"What?"

"Age."

She sees him walk out of the kitchen with a carafe of sake.

"I'd guess... twenty-one. Twenty-three max."

Something in Shizune's face changes.

"Sakura." Shizune says sternly as he walks by again. "No. I forbid it."

"What?" She asks, bewildered.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you date a twenty-one-year-old."

"SHIZUNE! I don't even like him! Besides, you wanted me to profile the Anime Paper Boy, so I am. I'm guessing twenty-one because of the sake."

Shizune sighs as if to say: _what a pity._

"He's cute though. Not my type."

"Right. Because your type happens to look like Justin Timberlake."

"Shut up Sakura."

Sakura smirks triumphantly.

She's totally won this round.

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4.

_memory_

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Her friends visit the sushi place in April to celebrate.

Lily is visiting home after living abroad _(Paris anybody?)_ with her parents for the year. Sakura knows her bestie loves the sushi restaurant, this tiny hole in the wall with incredible food and amazing prices. It shouldn't have surprised Sakura that they would be eating here tonight.

It is also the first time all of her friends, save for the precious few attending out-of-state schools, are gathered together since Christmas.

When Sakura and Christine enter the restaurant, everyone else is already present. Christine takes the end chair across from Rick, leaving Sakura to the spot beside Lily. On Lily's other side, Kira waves to her.

"You're here!" Sakura throws her arms around Lily. "I miss you soooo much!"

Lily laughs and hugs her back. "I miss you too, you crazy Asian."

"What can I get for you to drink?" Their waiter asks.

Sakura cautiously looks at him and lets out a soft sigh of relief. It's not the Paper Boy.

"Hot tea."

Dinner is the most fun Sakura has had in weeks. Between cramming for her chemistry class and writing her Comp paper, she hasn't had much time to breathe.

"Sakura!" Kira suddenly calls her attention when their dinner arrives. "Look."

Her gaze follows Kira's fingers to the opposite end of the table. "Oh no."

"What?" Lily frowns, her eyes following Sakura's stare. "Oh wow."

"Shut up Lily. Didn't I tell you about the Anime Paper Boy? The one from the bubble tea shop?"

Lily's jaw drops. "That's _him?_ Holy shit! He's _hot!"_

"Keep your voice down, you idiot! He's right there!"

Kira orders their usual dessert and the Paper Boy sets it down in front of Sakura, handing both of them a spoon.

Sakura can feel Kira smirking at her.

"Kira. Knock it off. I know what you're thinking." Sakura warns her.

Her bestie smiles innocently. "I'm not thinking anything."

"Sure you aren't." Sakura snorts as she slices a piece of tempura ice cream for herself with the edge of her spoon.

"Can I get you anything else to drink?" Another voice asks, startling Sakura as she carefully drains her cup of tea to the dregs. Her hand jerks and the crushed leaves hit the back of her throat, making Sakura sputter and cough.

Lily's elbow connects with her ribcage—_hard._

"I'm _dying_ here and all you can do is put me in _more_ pain? What kind of friend are you?" Sakura shrieks.

Christine's voice distracts her long enough to prevent Lily from answering. "I'll take a glass of water."

Her head turns to look at Christine on her other side but the Sakura catches sight of the Anime Paper Boy standing there coolly at the end of her table, watching her display of grace.

The pieces click together and she turns to glare at a smirking Lily.

"I hate you oh so very fucking much."

"Love you too Sakura."

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As per tradition, the Harunos ate out at a restaurant of Satsuki's choice on Mother's Day.

This year, her mother chooses the sushi house.

"What do you want to drink?" A familiar voice asks.

Her mother's happy smile grows larger.

Sai catches her eye and gives her a look screaming: _Damn, what shitty luck you have._

Sakura sighs and shakes her head in agreement.

Her mother stays silent throughout lunch. But during dessert, she stops the Paper Boy as he passes by.

"Excuse me, but what's your name?"

Her father sighs, too used to his wife's antics to be embarrassed anymore. Sai and Sakura share horrified glances.

"Sasuke."

When he leaves, Sakura suddenly smirks and composes a quick text. A few seconds later, her phone rings and she covers her mouth with her hand to smother her laughter.

"What?" Sai asks.

"Oh Hinata." She snickers as she slides her phone across the table for her twin to see.

_You got his name? And it's SASUKE? That's HOTT!_

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In July, exactly an hour and a half before closing, Sakura, Sai, Neji, Hinata, and Naruto walk in to say goodbye.

Neji is moving back to Utsunomiya.

Naruto and Sakura are on better terms now, but their friendship will never be the same.

"God, I don't know what to get. I only have a twenty on me." Neji flips through the menu.

"It's on me guys." Sakura tells them.

"Seriously?" Naruto's eyes go wide. "God, Saki, you're the best!"

Sai chuckles at his sister as she ponders her words further.

"Am I going to regret this?" She asks Hinata across from her.

Her friend giggles. "Maybe? But seriously, you are the best."

They entertain themselves with telling jokes and riddles. Naruto leans forward to tell them a particularly dirty one.

"So a man and his wife decide to have a communication system for when they do or don't want to have sex. So the wife tells her husband: 'If you don't want to do it, squeeze my left breast twice. But if you do, squeeze my right breast once.'

"The husband says: 'Okay. That's easy to remember. No is left one twice and yes is right one once. Piece of cake.'

"What about you?' The wife asks.

"The husband thinks for a while.

"I got it.' He grins. 'If you want it, pull my dick once. But if you don't, pull on it two hundred and fifty-six times."

"Naruto!" Sakura swats him on the arm. "That's sick!"

"I'm a teenage boy." Naruto answers smugly as the others laugh.

"Naruto!"

The three boys eat a ton when their food arrives. Sakura makes fun of them for their bottomless stomachs.

"Dessert?" Their waiter _(the Paper Boy—who else?)_ asks.

Hinata's eyes light up.

"Green tea ice cream, please." Sakura smiles.

When they're done eating, Sakura asks for the bill.

"By the way, the ice cream is on the house." The Paper Boy tells her as she scans her receipt for any mistakes.

Sakura's jaw drops slightly before she pulls herself together. "Thank you!" She smiles brightly at him in appreciation.

"You're good, Saki." Naruto smirks once their waiter walks away. "You scored us free ice cream with your stunning looks."

"Oh shut up, Naruto, and stop kissing up. I already paid for you to pig out."

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"Man, I am never running up and down the length of Twelve Oaks. I'm so out of shape." Sakura says to her friend as they enter the sushi restaurant in the middle of summer.

"What? You out of shape? You look good to me." Katy scrutinizes her.

"Katy, before my freshman year, my legs used to be stick thin. And now... not so much."

Katy stares at her legs at the same time the hostess waves them over to their table, one set for a large party of fourteen. "Damn girl. Your legs look good now. If what you're saying is true, holy shit."

Sakura grimaces. "I know. It's weird to think about."

Their waiter isn't there to take their drink orders. Sakura sits in her usual chair, trying to control her breathing before she decides to go to the bathroom. When she returns, Katy is sipping a glass of Pepsi.

"Kat, do you know if they're here yet?" Sakura keeps an eye on the door.

"Nah." Katy sips through her straw. "But Mark called and said he's almost here."

"What do you want to drink?"

She jumps before turning around to face the speaker. Sakura knows she shouldn't be surprised but she is. "Hot tea please."

Mark walks in through the door carrying her black dress. Behind him, Kira carries a bundle Sakura knows is her Natsume sweater in her arms. Moments later, Lacee dressed in black and white and Dave in his street clothes take a seat at the other end of the table.

"It's about time you got here." Sakura jumps out of her chair.

"Quick—change. She'll be here any minute." Kira hands Katy the bundle in her harms and gestures to the dress in the Mark's hands.

Sakura takes the dress and runs to the bathroom. When she emerges five minutes later wearing a simple black, knee-length hooded dress, Katy runs into the bathroom next.

The Paper Boy sets down her cup of tea at her elbow. "Thanks." She murmurs, stripping all her jewelry off.

"Oh my God! I can't get over your eyes... they're so _green!_" Mark suddenly exclaims, leaning forward to peer into Sakura's eyes.

"Um... they've been green for a while now."

"But they're so _green_! God! You are gorgeous, girl. That color in your eyes... wow."

"Holy shit, I'm wearing green contacts!" Sakura exclaims, irritated by Mark's praises.

"Just... sit down Mark." Kira pushes him down into his chair.

More and more people in costume join their table.

Then—

"SURPRISE! HAPPY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY LILY!"

Lily laughs. "You guys..."

"Sakura!" Rick seated at the end hollers. "Lily would like for you to hit on the Anime Paper Boy as her birthday gift."

Her jaw goes slack.

"Oh hell no. Not when I just ran up and down Twelve Oaks looking for a stupid stand that doesn't exist."

"Sakura doesn't even like him." Christine reminds him.

Mark turns to her. "Saki sweetie, you should!"

"No! That's your sick fantasy, not mine! You just want me to date him so you can say that I am!"

"But he's one damn fine catch!"

"You're _gay,_ Mark. You think every Asian guy you run into is a catch."

"But it's true! Especially in this case."

"Stuff it, Mark."

Dinner goes by without another incident, their conversations normal. But then, Mark starts up on Sakura's nonexistent love life.

"Sakura, I don't understand you sometimes."

"What's there to understand?"

"You're freakin' gorgeous—"

"—That's true—" Kira interjects.

Sakura shoots her a withering glance. "Oh, you shut up. You're prettier than me by a long shot."

"—And there are lots of guys hitting on you but you don't want any of them. I don't get it. Are you waiting for something?"

"The Paper Boy!" Kira giggles, making Katy laugh out loud.

Her glare intensifies. "Can it, you. The Paper Boy has nothing to do with this."

"You should date him!" Mark urges. "Oh Sasuke... I love you..." He sighs dramatically.

"I already told you: I am not hitting on or dating a complete and total stranger. For starters, that's super creepy and I am not a creeper like you, Mark. Besides, how do you know his name?"

"Um... you told me."

"Right. My mom asked. That's embarrassing."

"Oh I know!" Kira's face lights up. "You should ask him if he thinks Sakura is pretty!"

"Kira!" Sakura gasps, her cheeks flooding with color.

Minutes later, he walks by on his way to the kitchen.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mark grins.

"Sure." The Paper Boy answers easily, moving around to grab Lacee's empty cup.

"Do you think she's pretty?"

The Paper Boy pauses and looks at who Mark is pointing at. To Sakura's amusement, his finger points directly at Kira.

"Not me! Not me, you moron! You were supposed to ask about Sakura!" Kira flails her arms, her face red.

Sakura smirks. "Good move, my dear gay bestie. Kira needs someone to boost her self-confidence."

He gives them an amused smirk before quietly answering, "Yes," and walking back to the kitchen to refill Lacee's empty cup.

"Oh my God." Kira groan into her hands. "Mark, you are such a moron!"

Sakura sees the Paper Boy return with Lacee's soda, but he leaves as quietly as he appears.

"I mean, how could you botch something as simple as that!" Kira continues to rant. "I'm so embarrassed!"

"Oh honey, you need to understand that you _are_ beautiful and who better to reaffirm than an insanely hot guy?" Mark points out. "You should ask him if he thinks _I'm_ cute so he knows we were joking about asking him."

Kira snorts. "Like that's going to work."

"Yeah, especially when you're concocting your _brilliant_ plan to make things less awkward with our waiter, oh I don't know... _two feet in front of him_." Sakura rolls her eyes. "Your observation skills astound me."

"I should have never told you about that plan and just done it myself." Kira glares.

Sakura laughs. "That's what you get, chickadee!" She rubs it into Kira's face just as her empty cup of tea vanishes. "Hey... my tea cup..."

"The Paper Boy went to refill it." Kira fills in helpfully.

"I can see that."

When the Paper Boy returns and sets Sakura's steaming cup down by her elbow, Mark grabs his attention again.

"Do you think _she's_ pretty?" He points to Sakura.

"Mark!" She screeches, her face red.

He glances down at her and smiles faintly.

"Yes."

He answers softly before disappearing.

"Oh my God, that did not just happen!" Katy squeals.

"My life is over." Sakura mutters behind her hands.

"Oh, get over it sweetie. It means he wants to stick himself in you." Mark answers flippantly.

Kira, Sakura and Katy stare at him, shocked by his statement, before withdrawing into a scarf (Kira), a hood (Sakura), and a shirt collar (Katy).

"What?" Mark laughs, clueless.

"I'm embarrassed to be in the same company of you." Sakura mutters.

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5.

_meeting_

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Despite her extreme mortification during Lily's birthday, Sakura continues to be dragged to the sushi house throughout her sophomore year of college.

In March, she walks in with Shizune, Hinata, Tenten, and Ino.

"Happy Birthday Sakura!" Hinata hugs her as they enter the sushi house.

She grins sheepishly.

"Thanks. Although, was it necessary to lock Sai in a closet on his birthday too?"

"Oh screw your brother." Ino replies flippantly. "Because what we want to accomplish cannot be done in the younger twin's presence."

She frowns. "Ino..."

"Over here!" The hostess waves them over to a center table.

"It doesn't change the fact that it's Sai's birthday too and I feel bad about leaving him behind." Sakura chastises as they sit down.

"My cousin will get over it." Ino replies confidently. "And if he doesn't, then I disown him."

"Me too." Tenten adds.

A familiar voice clears his throat and asks them what they want to drink.

"Um... Sprite." Shizune requests.

"Sierra Mist, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Dr. Pepper for me!" Tenten bounces in her chair.

"Lemonade, please." Hinata says.

Ino looks up over her menu. "Just water."

"Lemon with that?"

"Sure, why not?"

Sakura smiles wryly when his gaze shifts to her. "Is there really any point of asking me anymore?"

Smirking, the Paper Boy—Sasuke—answers, "I'll be back with your tea."

He brings them their food when it's ready and for dessert, he brings by a plate of green tea tempura ice cream.

"Woah, he's good." Tenten gapes. "He just asked if we wanted dessert and brought what we finally decided what to order _before_ we ordered it."

Sakura twirls her spoon in the air before scooping up another bite. "It doesn't matter; we end up getting the same thing anyways."

"One ticket?" The Paper Boy (_Sasuke—_Sakura forces herself to remember his name) asks as they polish off the rest of their dessert.

"Yeah. And give it to me please." Sakura requests.

"Oh no." Shizune chides her. "It's your birthday. The birthday girl does not pay."

"Watch me." Sakura shoots back.

He hands her the bill as she requested. Shizune makes a dive for it but Sakura holds it out of reach.

"This is so unfair. You're shorter than all of us but we can't even snatch the bill away from you." Shizune pouts.

"Get over it." Sakura laughs as she sticks her card in the folder and hands it back to the Paper Bo—Sasuke.

"By the way," Sasuke _(finally!—her inner chibi screams in exasperation)_ mentions as he hands Sakura back the folder. "The hostess wishes you happy birthday. And that the ice cream is on us."

She looks up from reading the receipt.

"Thank you."

She smiles softly before picking up a pen to write down the tip.

"Can I see what we ordered?" Ino suddenly asks.

Without thinking, Sakura slides the order form out from the folder's pocket and passes it to her cousin.

_What should I give?_ Sakura asks herself. _What is fifteen percent of sixty-three? It's about... nine... but..._

She writes down thirteen, bringing the total charge on her card to seventy-six.

_One dollar for the treat._

_Two dollars for putting up with my crazy family and friends throughout the years._

_Three dollars for every year we've continually run into each other._

She glances up and smiles when she sees that everyone in her party is preoccupied with re-reading their order. Assured that no one is watching, Sakura flips over the merchant's receipt and scribbles something on the back.

"Let's go." Sakura stands up when she sees Sasuke heading their way. She closes the folder and places it on the table.

"Hold up." Ino picks up the folder and slips the order form back inside the pocket. "Okay, let's go."

Sakura smiles to herself as she thinks about the note she would never under any other circumstances write.

But for him, she's willing to make this one exception.

* * *

THE SEQUEL IS UP! It's titled _nothing on you._

Ja ne-

Callista Miralni


End file.
